Console Clash

Console Clash is a homebrew game by tfmoe__ where you have to enter a series of commands using a specific controller port on your N64 console. It was released on 02 February 2026 for the 2025 64brew Game Jam.

You can get the ROM from its download page by using the password consolewars or from Drive. You can also get the source code from Github.

About Console Clash

The objective of this game is initially very simple: press a series of buttons on the controller in order to avoid Sega Saturn and Playstation from overtaking the Nintendo 64 on the TV. This concept has been done many times before, but Console Clash comes with a twist. You have to input the commands on different controller ports to avoid losing.

That might sound doable at first, however the catch is that you can only have one controller plugged in at a time. That’s right, you have to manage your controller ports on top of your controller inputs.

That means that it is imperative that you get creative with your seating placements. I came up with a few setups that might work, in order of ease and effectiveness:

• Sit next to your N64 and switch your controller into each port as you go along
• Have a ‘player 2’ do the switching while you do the commands
• Use 4 controllers, but have 3 of them slightly plugged out to avoid having to pull the plug out completely

Each level lasts a set amount of time, but if you leave the commands alone for too long the console at that port will overheat and the game will be over. As time progresses, you’ll get additional skills to cool down your consoles and let you survive longer.

Credits

Console Clash was made by tfmoe__.

Review and conclusion

This is one of those games that makes you think out the box. Console Clash makes use of a ‘control’ that isn’t really used in any other game I’ve played, N64 or otherwise. It kind of reminds me of Stop ‘n’ Swap from Banjo Kazooie and Banjo Tooie, where you had to swap the cartridges while the console was on.

That said, even though I enjoyed the ingenuity of the concept, it’s not really that fun to play. First off, I have my N64 under my TV so I had to sit way too close to the TV which was uncomfortable and a strain on the eyes. Next, the act of switching ports is a bit too stressful; it feels like for that brief moment, you’re out of control begging for Jesus to take the joystick. A bit of a personal hiccup is that I have my N64 painted so I don’t want to stress the ports more than I have to. Finally, the game crashed a few too many times during gameplay.

I think that Console Clash would have been more fun if you could keep all controllers plugged in, but that would be easily cheesable with another player, or by holding two controllers. I don’t know, it’s a weird place to be in.

Console Clash is a brilliantly twisted concept that feels more like a physical workout than a fun game. Clever enough to admire, frustrating enough to abandon.